Political futures at risk as Senators draw terms

Donna Campbell draws an even number, resulting in a two year Senate term. (Photo by Kolten Parker)

Fifteen state Senators will face voters in 2014, rather than serving a typical four-year term, following the once-a-decade re-election term drawing Wednesday.

Due to redistricting, all 30 Senators drew envelopes out of a crystal-bowl revealing whether they would serve a two- or four-year term. Inside the envelopes were numbers 1-31, an odd number resulted in a four-year term.

Nine Republicans and six Democrats drew two-year terms, including freshman Donna Campbell of San Antonio and Joan Huffman and John Whitmire of Houston. SD-6, which hasn’t been filled yet, was drawn by an official and received a four-year term. (Full list at bottom)

Implications

Depending on a Senator’s political ambitions and coziness in a district, a two-year term could determine a lawmakers’ future in the Legislature.

Senators possibly eyeing statewide positions in 2014, including Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, and Dan Patrick, R-Houston, now have to face the risk losing their spot in the Legislature with a failed statewide run in 2014.

“Any Democratic Senator with a two-year term and statewide ambitions will be on a kamikaze run for office without their Senate seat as protection,” said former state Rep. Aaron Pena.

A four-year term serves as a safety net guaranteeing a failed statewide run in 2014 will not end their immediate political career, Pena said. In other words, if a Senator with four-year term loses statewide in 2014, they’ll still have a seat in the Senate, possibly making them more likely to consider a statewide run.

Davis said her two-year term will not affect her decision of whether or not to run for Governor in 2014, adding she is focused on fulfilling her role as a Senator right now.

For those in relatively safe districts, drawing a two-year term is less of a burden than for senators who raced to close victories last year. Davis ran the closest Texas Senate race last year, eking out a three-percentage-point victory over her Republican challenger.

Campbell is in a Republican district, but is likely to face opposition from her own party as a first-term Senator.

Furthermore, Senators with two-year terms will be running in a gubernatorial election, which will have less turnout than a presidential election year.